Reversibility

3DS OUTSCALE does not interact with the data of its customers, but provides a technical foundation capable of hosting applications, that are managed by the users, who are the ones processing data. However, beyond this standard definition, reversibility now applies to infrastructure.

Combination with IaaS

The advent of Cloud computing has partly been driven by the leverage of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), which can be defined as a business function, exposed on the Internet to request and orchestrate a set of resources in order to deliver an IT service. This orchestration can be programmatic, repeatable and standard. This is why 3DS OUTSCALE leverages a generic technical foundation that limits vendor lock-in, greatly facilitating migration between service providers. 3DS OUTSCALE also provides API functions to export virtual hard drives on which data is stored. These functions are available in the Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) named Flexible Compute Unit (FCU).

Cloud migration is the ideal opportunity to consider a more standardized, automated approach to the delivery of resources such as virtual machines or storage. As a result, the entire industry relies on concepts which act as the state of the art. To consider migration to the IaaS is, inherently, to consider reversibility. Tools and functions enabling this are integrated into the providers' APIs.

Compliant with Industry Standards

3DS OUTSCALE offers a method to request and orchestrate its infrastructure, via an API that is compliant with current state-of-the-art industry standards for IaaS APIs: usable through numerous tools, which are open source and available on various collaboration platforms such as https://www.github.com.

The infrastructure deployment recipes produced with the following tools can be used with various providers of infrastructure compatible with AWS-EC2-type APIs.

Non-Exhaustive List of Major Tools That Are Compatible with the OUTSCALE API

Name	Website
Apache Libcloud	https://libcloud.apache.org/
AWS CLI	https://github.com/aws/aws-cli
AWS JS	https://github.com/aws/aws-sdk-js
AWS Java	https://github.com/aws/aws-sdk-java
Boto	https://github.com/boto/boto
Eucalyptus	https://github.com/eucalyptus/eucalyptus/wiki
s3cmd	https://github.com/s3tools/s3cmd
Terraform	https://www.terraform.io/
Packer	https://www.packer.io

Name

Website

Apache Libcloud

https://libcloud.apache.org/

AWS CLI

https://github.com/aws/aws-cli

AWS JS

https://github.com/aws/aws-sdk-js

AWS Java

https://github.com/aws/aws-sdk-java

Boto

https://github.com/boto/boto

Eucalyptus

https://github.com/eucalyptus/eucalyptus/wiki

s3cmd

https://github.com/s3tools/s3cmd

Terraform

https://www.terraform.io/

Packer

https://www.packer.io

Scope of Application for Reversibility

API Leverage

3DS OUTSCALE exposes its public API, enabling the user to manipulate elementary computing concepts (see list below) and to assemble them at will in order to design a target architecture. 3DS OUTSCALE is responsible for delivering the elements requested by API, but is not the operator of this API.

IPv4 addresses
Access door to VPN, Internet and NAT
DHCP configuration options
Machine images
SSH keys to access virtual machines
Multiple network interfaces for virtual machines
Net peering
Route table within the VPC
Control of network access flows (security group)
Storage snapshot
Manipulation of VPCs (Nets & Subnets)
Dynamic naming of virtual resources
Load balancing

Leverage of Associated Resources

Compute

3DS OUTSCALE relies on QEMU-KVM technology to provide virtualization of operating systems to its users. QEMU-KVM (https://www.qemu.org/) is an open-source and easily accessible technology: as no technological element is private, it is entirely possible to recreate virtual infrastructure hosted by 3DS OUTSCALE on traditional machines. Most IaaS providers also leverage QEMU-KVM. Moreover, tools for converting machine images produced with QEMU-KVM enable you to migrate to virtualized infrastructure of the XEN or VMWare type. See A.3 QEMU compared to other emulators and 2.7.4 qemu-img Invocation.

Resource	Reversibility	Description
Authentication	No	This resource is owned and managed by OUTSCALE. You can view the authentication information in the OUTSCALE API documentation: Authentication Schemes.
Access key	No	This resource is owned and managed by OUTSCALE. You can view the attributes for this resource via the OUTSCALE API method ReadAccessKeys.
API access policy	Yes (partial)	You can view the attributes for this resource via the OUTSCALE API method ReadApiAccessPolicy. However, it is possible that this resource cannot be integrated elsewhere as it is.
API access rule	Yes (partial)	You can view the attributes for this resource via the OUTSCALE API method ReadApiAccessRules. However, it is possible that this resource cannot be integrated elsewhere as it is.
Account	Yes (partial)	You can view the attributes for this resource via the OUTSCALE API method ReadAccounts. However, it is possible that this resource cannot be integrated elsewhere as it is.
Flexible GPU	No	This resource is owned and managed by OUTSCALE. You can view the attributes for this resource via the OUTSCALE API method ReadFlexibleGpus.
Image	Yes	An image can be exported to the OOS service in QCOW2 or RAW format. It can then be downloaded. For more information, see Exporting an OMI to a Bucket and Downloading an Object from a Bucket.
VM	Yes (partial)	This resource’s metadata and user data can be accessed from within the VM itself. For more information, see Accessing the Metadata and User Data of a VM. You can view the attributes for this resource via: the OUTSCALE API method ReadVms, the console output of a VM via the OUTSCALE API method ReadConsoleOutput. However, it is possible that this resource cannot be integrated elsewhere as it is.
Product type	No	This resource is owned and managed by OUTSCALE. You can view the attributes for this resource via the OUTSCALE API method ReadProductTypes.
Quota	No	This resource is owned and managed by OUTSCALE. You can view the attributes for this resource via the OUTSCALE API method ReadQuotas.
Region	No	This resource is owned and managed by OUTSCALE. You can view the attributes for this resource via the OUTSCALE API method ReadRegions.
Subregion	No	This resource is owned and managed by OUTSCALE. You can view the attributes for this resource via the OUTSCALE API method ReadSubregions.
Task	No	This resource is owned and managed by OUTSCALE. You can view the attributes for this resource via the OUTSCALE API methods ReadSnapshotExportTasks and ReadImageExportTasks.

Resource

Reversibility

Description

Authentication

This resource is owned and managed by OUTSCALE. You can view the authentication information in the OUTSCALE API documentation: Authentication Schemes.

Access key

This resource is owned and managed by OUTSCALE. You can view the attributes for this resource via the OUTSCALE API method ReadAccessKeys.

API access policy

Yes (partial)

You can view the attributes for this resource via the OUTSCALE API method ReadApiAccessPolicy.

However, it is possible that this resource cannot be integrated elsewhere as it is.

API access rule

Yes (partial)

You can view the attributes for this resource via the OUTSCALE API method ReadApiAccessRules.

However, it is possible that this resource cannot be integrated elsewhere as it is.

Account

Yes (partial)

You can view the attributes for this resource via the OUTSCALE API method ReadAccounts.

However, it is possible that this resource cannot be integrated elsewhere as it is.

Flexible GPU

This resource is owned and managed by OUTSCALE. You can view the attributes for this resource via the OUTSCALE API method ReadFlexibleGpus.

Image

Yes

An image can be exported to the OOS service in QCOW2 or RAW format.

It can then be downloaded. For more information, see Exporting an OMI to a Bucket and Downloading an Object from a Bucket.

Yes (partial)

This resource’s metadata and user data can be accessed from within the VM itself. For more information, see Accessing the Metadata and User Data of a VM.

You can view the attributes for this resource via:

the OUTSCALE API method ReadVms,
the console output of a VM via the OUTSCALE API method ReadConsoleOutput.

However, it is possible that this resource cannot be integrated elsewhere as it is.

Product type

This resource is owned and managed by OUTSCALE. You can view the attributes for this resource via the OUTSCALE API method ReadProductTypes.

Quota

This resource is owned and managed by OUTSCALE. You can view the attributes for this resource via the OUTSCALE API method ReadQuotas.

Region

This resource is owned and managed by OUTSCALE. You can view the attributes for this resource via the OUTSCALE API method ReadRegions.

Subregion

This resource is owned and managed by OUTSCALE. You can view the attributes for this resource via the OUTSCALE API method ReadSubregions.

Task

This resource is owned and managed by OUTSCALE. You can view the attributes for this resource via the OUTSCALE API methods ReadSnapshotExportTasks and ReadImageExportTasks.

Block Storage

Block storage attached to virtual machines behaves like a traditional hard drive (HDD or SSD). Any standard file system (ext4, xfs, FAT32, NTFS) is compatible with the 3DS OUTSCALE IaaS and enables you to leverage data stored on drives.

Resource	Reversibility	Description
Snapshot	Yes	You can view the attributes of a snapshot via the API method ReadSnapshots. A snapshot can be exported to the OOS service in QCOW2 or RAW format. It can then be downloaded. For more information, see Exporting a Snapshot to a Bucket and Downloading an Object from a Bucket.
Volume	Yes	You can view the attributes of a volume via the API method ReadVolumes. A volume can be exported by creating a snapshot of it and exporting it to the OOS service in QCOW2 or RAW format. It can then be downloaded. For more information, see Exporting a Snapshot to a Bucket and Downloading an Object from a Bucket.

Resource

Reversibility

Description

Snapshot

Yes

You can view the attributes of a snapshot via the API method ReadSnapshots.

A snapshot can be exported to the OOS service in QCOW2 or RAW format.
It can then be downloaded. For more information, see Exporting a Snapshot to a Bucket and Downloading an Object from a Bucket.

Volume

Yes

You can view the attributes of a volume via the API method ReadVolumes.

A volume can be exported by creating a snapshot of it and exporting it to the OOS service in QCOW2 or RAW format.
It can then be downloaded. For more information, see Exporting a Snapshot to a Bucket and Downloading an Object from a Bucket.

Network

3DS OUTSCALE offers two modes of network leverage on the IaaS: The first is referred to as public, and the second as Virtual Private Cloud (VPC). The network components provided by 3DS OUTSCALE are configurable by API, and compliant with the widely adopted RFC 1918 open standard (https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc1918). The addressing plan is repeatable with many providers, as well as locally.

Resource	Reversibility	Description
Client gateway	Yes	You can view the configuration for this resource via the OUTSCALE API method ReadClientGateways.
VPN connection	Yes (partial)	You can view the configuration for this resource via the OUTSCALE API method ReadVpnConnections. However, it is possible that this resource cannot be integrated elsewhere as it is.
Internet service	No	This resource is owned and managed by OUTSCALE. You can view the attributes for this resource via the OUTSCALE API method ReadInternetServices.
Public IP	Yes (partial)	You can view the attributes for this resource via the OUTSCALE API method ReadPublicIps. However, it is possible that this resource cannot be integrated elsewhere as it is.
Keypair	Yes (partial)	You can view the attributes for this resource via the OUTSCALE API method ReadKeypairs. However, it is possible that this resource cannot be integrated elsewhere as it is.
Nat Service	No	This resource is owned and managed by OUTSCALE. You can view the attributes for this resource via the OUTSCALE API method ReadNatServices.
Net	Yes (partial)	You can view the network topology via the OUTSCALE API method ReadNets. However, it is possible that this resource cannot be integrated elsewhere as it is.
Net access point	No	This resource is owned and managed by OUTSCALE. You can view the attributes for this resource via the OUTSCALE API method ReadNetAccessPoints.
Net peering	Yes (partial)	You can view the list of peering connections between Nets and their states via the OUTSCALE API method ReadNetPeerings. However, it is possible that this resource cannot be integrated elsewhere as it is.
NIC	Yes (partial)	You can view the configuration for this resource via the OUTSCALE API method ReadNics. However, it is possible that this resource cannot be integrated elsewhere as it is.
DHCP options	Yes	You can view the DHCP options associated with a Net via the OUTSCALE API method ReadDhcpOptions.
Security group rules	Yes	Information about a security group rule and its filtering rules are available via the security group attributes. You can view the attributes for this resource via the OUTSCALE API method ReadSecurityGroups.
Security group	No	This resource is owned and managed by OUTSCALE. You can view the attributes for this resource via the OUTSCALE API method ReadSecurityGroups.

Resource

Reversibility

Description

Client gateway

Yes

You can view the configuration for this resource via the OUTSCALE API method ReadClientGateways.

VPN connection

Yes (partial)

You can view the configuration for this resource via the OUTSCALE API method ReadVpnConnections.

However, it is possible that this resource cannot be integrated elsewhere as it is.

Internet service

This resource is owned and managed by OUTSCALE. You can view the attributes for this resource via the OUTSCALE API method ReadInternetServices.

Public IP

Yes (partial)

You can view the attributes for this resource via the OUTSCALE API method ReadPublicIps.

However, it is possible that this resource cannot be integrated elsewhere as it is.

Keypair

Yes (partial)

You can view the attributes for this resource via the OUTSCALE API method ReadKeypairs.

However, it is possible that this resource cannot be integrated elsewhere as it is.

Nat Service

This resource is owned and managed by OUTSCALE. You can view the attributes for this resource via the OUTSCALE API method ReadNatServices.

Net

Yes (partial)

You can view the network topology via the OUTSCALE API method ReadNets.

However, it is possible that this resource cannot be integrated elsewhere as it is.

Net access point

This resource is owned and managed by OUTSCALE. You can view the attributes for this resource via the OUTSCALE API method ReadNetAccessPoints.

Net peering

Yes (partial)

You can view the list of peering connections between Nets and their states via the OUTSCALE API method ReadNetPeerings.

However, it is possible that this resource cannot be integrated elsewhere as it is.

NIC

Yes (partial)

You can view the configuration for this resource via the OUTSCALE API method ReadNics.

However, it is possible that this resource cannot be integrated elsewhere as it is.

DHCP options

Yes

You can view the DHCP options associated with a Net via the OUTSCALE API method ReadDhcpOptions.

Security group rules

Yes

Information about a security group rule and its filtering rules are available via the security group attributes. You can view the attributes for this resource via the OUTSCALE API method ReadSecurityGroups.

Security group

This resource is owned and managed by OUTSCALE. You can view the attributes for this resource via the OUTSCALE API method ReadSecurityGroups.

Object Storage

3DS OUTSCALE uses Scality’s RING technology for its object storage service named OUTSCALE Object Storage (OOS), which is compatible with the S3 standard.

This service stores files without modifying them, while making them available via the HTTPS protocol. Retrieving a file stored on the OOS service consists in downloading it using an Internet browser or a tool that can access HTTPS links (wget, curl…).

Load balancing

3DS OUTSCALE offers a load balancing service called Load Balancer Unit (LBU) that applies a round-robin distribution of incoming HTTP, HTTPS, TCP, and SSL requests. This service is based on the HaProxy open-source software: only the non-public configuration of this tool can hinder the reversibility and repeatability of the exact load balancing behavior.

DirectLink

3DS OUTSCALE offers a DirectLink connection service between your network and the OUTSCALE infrastructure, enabling you to bypass Internet service providers when reaching your resources in a Net.

Resource	Reversibility	Description
DirectLink	Yes (partial)	You can view the attributes for this resource via the OUTSCALE API method ReadDirectLinks. However, it is possible that this resource cannot be integrated elsewhere as it is.
DirectLink interface	Yes (partial)	You can view the attributes for this resource via the OUTSCALE API method ReadDirectLinkInterfaces. However, it is possible that this resource cannot be integrated elsewhere as it is.
DirectLink site	No	This resource is owned and managed by OUTSCALE. You can view the attributes for this resource via the OUTSCALE API method Locations.

Resource

Reversibility

Description

DirectLink

Yes (partial)

You can view the attributes for this resource via the OUTSCALE API method ReadDirectLinks.

However, it is possible that this resource cannot be integrated elsewhere as it is.

DirectLink interface

Yes (partial)

You can view the attributes for this resource via the OUTSCALE API method ReadDirectLinkInterfaces.

However, it is possible that this resource cannot be integrated elsewhere as it is.

DirectLink site

This resource is owned and managed by OUTSCALE. You can view the attributes for this resource via the OUTSCALE API method Locations.

Agnostic Deployment

Automation, Abstraction, and Modularity of Infrastructure Deployment

3DS OUTSCALE exposes its APIs publicly: they enable you to order a range of resources made available almost instantaneously.

Ordering resources can be done using the tools listed earlier in this document: this is Infrastructure As Code. Using this approach, the user creates a codified, automated, and scalable procedure. The listed tools, such as Terraform, enable you to write a deployment recipe compatible with multiple infrastructure providers. As a result, vendor lock-in for the user is reduced to a minimum, and the cost of redeployment is lower than with manual infrastructure management.

The core concepts of IaaS are based on virtualization, which is an abstraction layer reducing lock-in to the leveraged tech stack. 3DS OUTSCALE provides freely available vanilla operating systems called OUTSCALE Machine Images (OMIs), compatible with AWS and with OpenStack, an open source IaaS orchestrator. The administration and the elements contained in a virtual machine based on the Linux GNU/Debian distribution (available here: https://cloud.debian.org/images/openstack/current-10/) are identical among several providers and can even be exploited "locally".

Data Migration

3DS OUTSCALE does not process its customers' data or applications. However, as a host, it stores the virtual hard drives called Block Storage Unit (BSU), which are attached to the virtual machines.

An API function (https://docs.outscale.com/fcu#createsnapshotexporttask) named CreateSnapshotExportTask enables users to create a perfect copy of their disk in raw or in the qcow2 open format. The user can then retrieve this copy by using a browser, and then leverage it locally with the open source QEMU software, or by creating a copy in a traditional web host or an IaaS service.

Related Pages

Glossary

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